Jung Hee-yong says rollout will reflect intraparty views, proceed in stages

Regular chapter head elections to follow existing method for now

Past conduct records to factor into evaluations; criteria under review

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok speaks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Monday. [Yonhap]
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok speaks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Monday. [Yonhap]

The People Power Party has decided to introduce direct elections for local party chapter heads in stages, starting with 34 chapters that currently have no sitting leader, while allowing existing chapter heads to remain under the current selection method. The phased approach comes amid sustained intraparty resistance to a full rollout and appears aimed at reducing friction by narrowing the initial scope of the reform.

Party Secretary-General Jung Hee-yong told reporters after a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Monday morning that the party had considered a full switch to direct member voting for chapter head elections but decided on a gradual, step-by-step introduction after taking into account views expressed at a recent general assembly of lawmakers and other internal discussions.

For this year's regular round of chapter head elections, the party will follow the existing method, under which each chapter's steering committee selects the head. Current chapter heads will have their terms extended through Sept. 15 under that process. Jung said the supreme council voted to complete the 2026 regular chapter head elections by Sept. 15 using the existing steering committee method and to keep incumbent chapter heads in place until a new head is chosen through that process. He described the decision as a measure to minimize disruptions to local chapters ahead of chuseok.

The direct election system will first apply to the 34 chapters without a sitting head. The party plans to open applications for interim organizing committee chairs immediately, followed by a qualification review by the Special Committee for Organizational Strengthening. If two or more eligible applicants come forward, the chapter head will in principle be chosen by a member vote.

The party will also conduct regular party affairs audits that give significantly more weight to member evaluations. The audits will cover chapters other than those already designated as vacant, and member assessments of chapter heads will account for 50 percent of the overall score.

Chapters that receive low ratings in the audits will be designated for replacement. Their heads will be required to reapply through the special committee's open recruitment process, and if two or more qualified candidates emerge, a new head will be chosen by member vote. As a result, the number of chapters subject to the direct election system could grow beyond the initial 34.

Past conduct records will also factor into evaluations during both the open recruitment and audit processes. Jung said specific criteria are still under review but indicated the standards would be similar to those applied in candidate nomination procedures.

The direct election of chapter heads is one of the central planks of party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's vision of a "member-centered party." The leadership had initially considered a full rollout, but the supreme council failed to reach a conclusion on two separate occasions. Intraparty divisions came into the open at a general assembly of lawmakers on Aug. 21, when a majority of sitting lawmakers who serve as chapter heads in their own constituencies called for the existing system to be maintained.

Jang had already left open the possibility of slowing the pace of the reform. At a press conference marking his first anniversary in office on Wednesday, he said his conviction that direct elections for chapter heads are essential has not changed, but added that given the various concerns about timing and speed, it is necessary to consult widely and find a reasonable standard.


mp1256@heraldcorp.com